Orlando Storm coach Anthony Becht isn't sweating the venue drama. His expansion franchise just wrapped up a remarkable 8-2 debut season, and now they're gearing up for their third straight meeting with the DC Defenders — this time on a neutral field due to Orlando's stadium issues.
"We'll play on a parking lot," Becht said after his team's dominant regular season finale. "It does not matter. Like, it's our first year. We'll play anywhere, man."
Historic Debut Season in the Books
The Storm's 8-2 record stands as one of the most impressive inaugural seasons in recent UFL memory. Becht couldn't contain his pride when reflecting on what his team accomplished in their first year of existence.
"What an incredible regular season for our football team. I can't tell you how proud I am of everyone on this football team, whether they dress or not. My coaching staff, you know, the equipment guys, the video guys. It is a complete buy-in."
The coach emphasized just how difficult it is to dominate in a league with this much parity. "You can say what you want about this league. There's a lot of parity and there's a lot of teams that could probably beat us on any given day. But you got to go out there and take it every single week."
Owner Fought for Home Field
While fans might be frustrated about losing home field advantage for the playoffs, Becht made it clear owner Mike Rapoli did everything possible to secure a venue in Florida. The coach defended his owner against any criticism heading into the postseason.
"I know our owner Mike Rapole did everything he could to try to get something done in Florida. The guy had his checkbook out trying to make something happen," Becht explained. "I get that people want to throw heat on him, but he cares about what we're doing."
Chris Rowland, the Storm's top receiver, echoed his coach's sentiment about playing anywhere. "We got a group that we will play you anywhere. I mean, we can play in the parking lot."
Special Teams Making the Difference
One of the Storm's biggest advantages has been their special teams unit, which came up huge again in their latest victory over DC. Becht highlighted the impact of a blocked punt and perfectly placed punts that flipped field position.
"We feel like we can be difference makers as a football team," Becht said about his special teams. "Cap, I think he was the one that blocked that punt, man, just awesome. Like, you just got to believe when you're doing those things."
The Storm have been the league's least penalized team under Becht's watch, a streak that's now extended three straight seasons. That discipline has been crucial in their success.
Defense Gets Its Due
While the offense gets most of the headlines, Becht made sure to give his defense proper credit. The Storm allowed the fewest points in the league this season while also ranking first in third-down defense and red zone defense.
"I believe we've given up the least amount of points in the league, which to me is the best defense. That's what you want, a defense that holds you from scoring on the football field," Becht said.
NFL Talent on Display
Becht didn't mince words when talking about his players' NFL potential. He's confident multiple guys on his roster can make immediate impacts at the next level.
"I would say this to any NFL team out there, watch our film, please, because we got a lot of damn good players that can help your team 100%, 8 or 9 of them for sure that are going to upgrade anything you bring to camp. And that's a fact."
Now the Storm face the unique challenge of beating the same team three times in a row. But Becht isn't overthinking it — he's treating it like any other game in their quest for the franchise's first championship.